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I go a little crazy every year over the Oscars (well, I do live in Southern California!). This year, we're having an Oscar party and I'm trying to think of fun foods that tie in with Oscar-nominees. Here's what I came up with so far, and if any of you have suggestions, I'll take 'em!

Lord of the Onion RingsBlack Bean (Dip) DownHalle Berry PieMonster's (Cheese) BallGosford Park Marmalade (you'd have to see the movie to understand)Water with Ice Age (my 7-year-old's contribution and obviously not a nominee)Harry Pot 'O SoupA Beautiful MintMoulin Mousse

Obvious but perhaps couthable * : "Oscar" meyer wieners.....if you stand em vertical on a 2" diameter disk of cheese 1/2" thick and stick a toothpick with olives at each end near the shoulder they might even look a bit like the statuette. I'm thinken pasta for the Crusader's sword and arms but I'm not Italian enough to be more specific. Gumdrop or strawberry for the head.....your choice.

I'm not even sure what a "scone" IS, but I think its made from crushed grain of some kind and you're the baker type ... so Sorcerer's Scone is a possibility, though I wouldn't suggest running very far with the "Hairy Pottery" theme.

Good luck, no charge,Bob

* couthable : having the ability to be dis-uncouthed (your mileage may vary)**

Originally posted by Penny:And RK, a scone is a British, very buttery biscuit, usually served with Devonshire cream but jam will do. I have THE best recipe should anyone desire. It's made with vanilla and tart dried cherries.

Here is is, Nancy! Credit the LA Times. They are so good, there's no need to EVER make another kind of scone:

Sour Cherry and Vanilla Cream Scones

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes

2 cups unbleached flour, plus more for rolling

1 cup cake flour (or substitute unbleached)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for garnish

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) very cold butter, cut in small chunks

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk or orange juice, plus more as needed USE BUTTERMILK

1 cup dried sour cherries

2 tablespoons cream

* Combine unbleached and cake flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and zest in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is grainy and coarse. (Alternatively, in bowl of large food processor, place butter chunks on top of dry ingredients. Pulse to break butter into flour mixture, then move mixture to large bowl.)

* Make well in center of dry ingredients and stir in egg, vanilla and buttermilk or orange juice. With a fork, lightly bring mixture in toward center to combine wet and dry ingredients. When slightly combined, fold in cherries. Mix lightly with fork to form soft, shaggy mass, adding up to 2 tablespoons more buttermilk or orange juice if necessary. Turn out on lightly floured work surface and knead very gently to make soft dough. Pat or shape dough into 10-inch circle. Cut in quarters, then cut each quarter in thirds, making 12 wedges.

* Place scones on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with sugar.

Oh Penny, I have buttermilk in the fridge, so I will have to try these (substituting some other kind of dried fruit besides cherries, since I have a larder full of everything but cherries!). This recipe is a bit like one I've relied upon in Marion Cunningham's "The Breakfast Book", except hers uses cream instead of buttermilk.

Now what do you use for Halle Berry Pie? Frozen berries, how could you?

Me? Frozen? Perish the thought! (tee-hee, food humor!). I live in strawberry capital of the world (Ventura County), so I would use strawberries. Though I do have an incredible buttermilk-blueberry streusal-topped pie in a lemon crust recipe that I love (only 900 calories a slice!). Then again, blueberries aren't in season until July. The strawberries are actually here year round these days and just starting to taste sweet again.

Oh oh, Penny, you may have started a flame war here. I happen to live in the strawberry capital of the world. I will pit my strawberries against your pitiful in-bred CA strawberries any day of the week. As long as that day is in July. Honestly, I used to live in CA, but after moving to the PNW realized that I NEVER tasted real strawberries til I had a strawberry here. Like all good things, though, the time for enjoyment is brief-- a fleeting 3 weeks in July. But boy do we pork out while the getting is good. We go buy flats at the local strawberry farm, and usually eat a pint or two on the way home.

Uh-oh. We're headed for big trouble here I see (a la Larry and George! ) Actually, most California berries aren't very good. I mean the Camrosas in the grocery store. I buy from the farmers' market. I like the "seascape" variety best.

Oh, Penny, the scones sound delicious. Darn it I just went to trader joes last week and stocked up for the next 2 months. It's a 3 hour drive from here. Could I fake it with raisins instead of dried cherries?

I'll be in California next month and plan to pig out on fresh strawberries...only from the stands, of course. There's nothing like it.

In the meantime, I look forward to learning how to make buttermilk-blueberry-streusal topped pie in a lemon crust. Wow, my cholestrol went up just typing that in.

Gee, Penny, you don't skimp on the good stuff when you bake, do you? I thought you were joking about the 877 calories til I read the recipe...per serving, yet! Now, if I don't eat an actual piece of pie, but serve everyone else and just clean up the "crumbs" and "broken pieces" that are leftover in the pie tin (I'm a very clumsy server), do I have to count the calories?